The Truths of Being Alive
by Primal Red
Summary: For most people, life had a way of turning out fine eventually. For Rio, life was full of her own mistakes. Or so she thought.  Gradual IzaRio
1. The Sorrows of a Life

**Title:** The Truths of Being Alive

**Chapter Title:** 1. Sorrows of a Life

**Author:** Primal Red

**Character(s)/Pairing:** Kamichika Rio. Orihara Izaya. Yagiri Namie. Eventual Izaya/Rio (IzaRio)

**Genre:** Drama/Angst/Romance

**Rating:** R for psychological and philosophical themes and sexuality.

**Warnings:** Dark themes and disturbing perspectives on humanity in general.

**Summary:** For most people, life had a way of turning out fine eventually. For Rio, life was full of her own mistakes. Or so she thought. [Eventual and gradual Izaya/Rio]

* * *

**A/N:** I recently got into the Durarara! fandom, and somehow along the way I fell for this pairing due to the complexity and darkness in terms of potential. Despite what a lot of people say, the interactions between these two characters just strikes me to the heart and makes me wonder what it would be like to see them interact more. Dedicated to hiitsu/Renn-kun, who is my greatest inspiration for this, and eclats-de-voix. :D You two are awesome. 3

* * *

"_Say, say my name…_

_I need a little love to ease the pain._

_I need a little love to ease the pain.__"_

—Massive Attack in "Dissolved Girl"

* * *

Chapter 1: The Sorrow of Living

* * *

When she walked straight into the sunlight of the afternoon through the crossroads of Ikebukuro, Rio thought of only one thing: the path she strode on was nothing like the path she had chosen in living.

The chance of all that happened in a lifetime was hardly what she would consider predetermined and easy to predict. Secrets, as she had found, were things she had not anticipated to be seen on a normal basis, and yet one man had looked right through her and tore her world apart.

Funny how she didn't even know his real name, mirthless and bleak as it was that she didn't know. Nakura-san. Only an alias, and yet she trusted him with her safety, her heart and all her secrets.

_"Look. No matter what they thought, no matter what they wanted, all of them returned as equals to their divine creator. That spot is all that remains of them."_

And he destroyed it all, with a smirk and a knowing glance.

"_Want me to let go?"_

And one word that never ceased to ring in her mind when she didn't respond and was pulled back from the threshold.

"…_See?"_

She never thought that there would be such individuals in this world, people who would laugh and toy with others in their most tragic of moments, and at the same time love how humanity writhes in its deep darkness and horrifying nature.

Detestable man he was, and yet she found herself wanting to see him again for some particular reason. A reason she couldn't understand.

Was it to explain herself to him? To show him that she was in the right?

Or was it for something else? To find out whether the Nakura-san she had felt so close with was real?

Or was it because she felt betrayed by the man who destroyed her hope of finding someone who understood and cared about her?

What did she really want from him?

Rio shook her head. She was thinking too much. That and…considering that it was unlikely that she would find him, she might as well take into account of what she had learned of her meeting with him and say goodbye to that hope.

And yet there was a slight pang in her heart when she looked into the night sky, something that reminded her of the realization that she probably was less willing to go about her way with her life on her own without seeing that man again. It was strange, really, how a stranger could affect her so deeply and shatter all her pretenses and politeness.

It was difficult, at first, living without that shelter of pretense and falseness in her daily life anymore. Building a new world out of the shattered pieces in her life and hope and happiness was a task that she had not anticipated as difficult as it turned out. Making friends, as she found, had been a difficult trial for her, mostly because she was awkward with going up to people and talking to them casually. She was an introverted girl, and one that thought a bit too much for her own good at times.

It was funny how much she had changed over the course of the year. She had, as usual, grown out of her shell of keeping to herself all the time in regards to speaking with others, and she had managed to learn how to speak in front of a crowd about many sorts of impersonal matters in case she needed to. She had even learned to speak out to her parents about what was going on between them and their world.

And yet, there was a part of her that was difficult to turn away completely from. She still didn't know many people, and she had few individuals—though, thankfully, a handful—who she could consider close friends. Her parents, as much as they apologized to her, were still about the same, and she had gone on with her life in many ways as though there was no disturbance at all that had happened.

No disturbance.

Just forgiveness.

Except for that one part of her that wondered whether she should have changed more.

She was at the age where she would begin studying for college—fifteen going onto sixteen, to be exact—and yet she still didn't completely know what she wanted.

What did she want, really?

Kamichika Rio stopped at the edge of the crosswalk and looked up. The moon was so beautifully full today, and though she didn't quite recall looking into the calendar for very much, she felt a certain pain in her heart that reminded her.

It was only a year ago when she met him face-to-face at the top of a building.

Ever since she met him, she wanted to change into a better person. Someone who had more friends in her life who cared about her, someone who could understand herself more and someone who wasn't so easily tricked.

She wanted to prove to herself—and to him—that he was wrong.

That she was not a predictable person.

That she was never predictable.

* * *

"I'm home."

Rio stepped through the door, and glanced around. So far, no one was earlier than her. Her mother, as it seemed from the note on the refrigerator, had gone out to buy things, and her father was not home yet from work. Might as well rest a little from the day for a while. Then, she will get her homework done and find a few things to do—including going online to chat with her friends for a bit.

She just hoped that she didn't send HIM anything by mistake. She was not about to make the same mistake as she used to, and chances were that he would take another identity online.

Rio pulled out her towel and outfit, then walked into the bathroom and turned on the hot water and then the cold water together. She watched nonchalantly as the steam began to rise, and hung her towel and outfits on the side handles. Then, closing the door and turning around, she stripped off her school outfit and inner garments and placed it all carefully on the shelf.

"_You have your share of secrets too, don't you?"_

_"Even going as far as thinking why your parents are so good-for-nothing compared to you?"_

Rio slashed her hand through the water viciously, spilling a handful of it onto the wall of the bathtub. Why did he say that?

Why?

What was it that made him so right and yet so hateful?

Why was it that she was so determined to prove him wrong?

He was right, after all, about her being another wrathful human who deserved no better.

A human being who had no right to criticize her parents for what they did, because she wasn't any better.

Rio took a shuddering breath, then stepped determinedly into the full-mixed water. She will prove him wrong. She will prove him wrong and to his face eventually.

If she were ever to see him again, she will prove him wrong even if it takes her life.

* * *

Humanity was a cesspool of living entities that were meant for a chessboard of massive, wonderful complexity. As far as things went, the city was his laboratory. Every single subject in the underground was in his hands, and he could twist and work in every single psyche with his power and will.

Orihara Izaya smiled calmly, then moved the king half a square to the left of the queen piece and the shogun piece.

"What are you so amused about?"

"Ah, Namie! You're here just in time to see some changes."

A silence fell between the two as the woman narrowed her eyes slightly and tried not to wince. Izaya kept his smile on his face, and knew that his currently appointed secretary was now turning the cogs in her head, if only to at least guess at his new manipulation.

"And what would that be?"

"Guess."

Namie glared at him from her vantage point, and Izaya laughed at her sour expression. "Now, now, Namie, it's not like I am going to plot against you in that sense. So far, you're one of the few people I can allow to the truth to an extent, if only for the fact that you can't do anything about what I have in store."

"Which is why you are having me guess at something that I don't have a part in?"

"Ah, but that's the fun of it, see? You are privy to things that will never leave this building floor. The fact remains that you are being sought after all that has happened, and your telling of anyone about what goes on will be in vain. What's worse…" he stopped with a smile, then continued, "…is that you have no future here and that you are pretty much stuck in Ikebukuro due to the machinations of a teenager. It's such a shame, really…Yagiri Namie, the great forerunning leader of the Yagiri pharmacy, is now a mere secretary. You should be thankful that I am letting you in on so much."

Namie narrowed her eyes even more, and Izaya laughed as he turned his chair around to the window. She was definitely fun to manipulate, and it was amusing to see her be crushed day by day with the realization that her company was now in shambles, and that everything she worked for was in vain.

Some people were just too fun to mess with. Especially when their dreams and hopes were as twisted as his. The fact that Namie fell in love with her own brother made it all the more amusing.

Izaya glanced out of the corner of his eye at the picture on his hands, and smiled. The new year students at Raira Academy were coming of age into graduation again, it seemed, and he was likely to run into someone else that he didn't think would be of interest.

The girl in the corner of the picture with the other students, despite her quiet exterior, seemed almost determined to look into the camera.

_Kamichika Rio. Magenta-san._

Rio-chan.

How cute. If he wasn't wrong, Rio-chan was probably now thinking of going to college and finding a way to live on despite what he told her.

And likely, if he guessed right, to prove him wrong.

Izaya chuckled. Her grades, as it seemed, had risen quite a bit in the last few years. From what he had found out from some other students, it seemed that Rio was now making friends with people and having a better time with her world than he had previously guessed. What's more, she seemed to have more than her fair share of idolization from most boys, considering that her quiet appearance and cool-headed personality made her seem inaccessible, along with her sky-high academic record.

And it didn't help that she was quite good-looking.

The informant thought for a moment. From what it seemed, that Celty seemed to have given her some words that might have made her think differently, and it was likely that such advice made the girl look away from the detestable world into a new one that she had wanted. Said girl, as it seemed, was quite determined to prove him wrong.

Well, then, maybe he could give her a chance. The fact that she wanted to prove him wrong made it funny in so many ways, and he wondered for a moment if it was because she was simply angry with him for what he had told her.

Or maybe not. Rio was, after all, a girl who didn't simply follow her emotions all the time. He recalled how the girl internalized her anger towards him even when he left her and how she didn't seek him out ever since.

She was smart, for sure. The fact that she could tell he was not a person to be messed with easily showed that she often thought ahead of her, especially in the recent years. From what he heard, she had not spoken of him or anything in relation to what had happened, which signified that she knew that the experience was not something she could share with others easily. What's more, the fact that she refused to let anyone know of her goals and dreams at this point in time showed that she was shrewd enough to keep her most precious hopes to herself. Fragile things were dangerous weapons, after all.

For a girl at the age of fifteen, she was quite an interesting experiment.

It was time for a visit to the past, perhaps. He wanted to find out what had changed, after all.

Some people were too fun to mess with.

* * *

"_Passion choked the flower_

_Till she cried no more."_

—Sarah McLachlan in Delerium's "Silence"

* * *

To be continued...


	2. Shattered Reality

**Title:** The Truths of Being Alive

**Chapter****Title:** 2. Shattered Reality

**Author:** Primal Red

**Character(s)/Pairing:** Kamichika Rio. Orihara Izaya. Ryuugamine Mikado. Sonohara Anri. Eventual Izaya/Rio (IzaRio)

**Genre:** General/Angst/Drama/Romance

**Rating:** R for psychological and philosophical themes and eventually quite a bit of sexuality.

**Warnings:** Dark themes and disturbing perspectives on humanity in general.

**Summary:** For most people, life had a way of turning out fine eventually. For Rio, life was full of her own mistakes. Or so she thought. [Eventual and gradual Izaya/Rio]

* * *

**A/N:** Dedicated, again, especially to the two who have inspired me infinitely on this work, **Renn-kun** and **eclats_de_voix**. ;) Keep the Izaya/Rio flame going! This pairing is so dark that it's riveting and fascinating. And, Izaya! You are so damn difficult to write! Oh, well, I forgive thee. XD

* * *

"_I can't help this longing…_

_Comfort me…_

_I can't hold it all in…_

_If you won't let me… _

_Heaven holds a sense of wonder._

_And I wanted to believe that_

_I get caught up_

_When the raging does subside…"_

—Delerium's "Silence" (Michael Woods Remix)

* * *

Chapter 2: Shattered Reality

* * *

For the first time in days, fifteen-year-old Ryuugamine Mikado was pleased and calm with his routine. After the scenario where Kida-kun had almost lost his life while fighting the Blue Square gangsters and after he had taken his best friend to the hospital, Kida and another girl at the hospital had disappeared for some reason. At first, he had been overwhelmingly worried and depressed—and not to mention, guilty—but as the days passed, he realized that Kida was most likely safe and well, just at a different location.

For some reason, a part of him wondered if he could go and see his friend for once.

Then again, with so many problems occurring outside these days, and with Dollars needing to be watched so often…maybe not. Things were too hectic to such a degree that he and Anri and the other people would need to keep an eye out for any trouble.

Though…with Celty-san helping out, things won't turn out too badly. She happened to be a very capable individual, even though she was a dullahan from Ireland.

Mikado smiled and glanced through page 14 as the teacher began to explain the phenomena surrounding centripetal motion. So far, he was starting to pick up on the pace of the studying, and though it was a miracle that he had managed to have decent grades during the unrest in Ikebukuro, he didn't want to take any chances.

And, so far, it seemed as though things would turn to normal for a few days. He knew that the Dollars have been calm and busy as usual, and it seemed that no major news in the area seemed to be that particularly outlandish.

Unless something comes up from something not so seemingly strange at first, that is.

Chances of that, however, were more likely than he thought, however. He had not known, for instance, that Kida was the leader of the Yellow Scarves, and the fact that Anri carried a blade was a strange thing for him to see. However, given that Anri meant no harm and that Kida also wanted to stay quiet about the fact mainly because he didn't want to trouble Mikado with his problems…it was likely that it was a misunderstanding.

A coincidental misunderstanding that he would have to prevent next time, especially if he wants Kida-kun to return safely and well.

Mikado felt his expression become determined, and for the rest of the lecture, his resolve went with him as he finished his notes with everyone else.

* * *

Mikado was about ready to pack his schoolbag when he noticed that Anri was walking over to him. Blinking, he wondered for a moment whether it had to do with something important other than school, then brushed the thought aside. No need for that now. He shouldn't think about things like that in school too much.

The bespectacled dark-haired girl walked up gracefully to Mikado after most of the class had left. "Ano…Ryuugamine-kun, do you think we should form another study group?"

"Er…yeah! Definitely. Sonohara-san is right. We need a study group for the next exam, just in case."

Anri nodded, and Mikado felt a pang of anxiety rush through him as he realized that he didn't know what else to say to fill in the silence. Way to go, Mikado, he thought glumly. You're definitely not changing much of yourself even now.

"Um…I was wondering…if you wouldn't mind if someone studied with us?"

"Huh? Oh…uh, who?"

"Kamichika Rio."

Oh. That girl. Mikado felt his expression relax for a moment, and then realized the reasoning behind the idea.

"Yeah. I mean…yeah. Why not?"

Though he and Anri were very good students in the class, the fact was that the two of them alone wouldn't necessarily be enough to study even better for a more difficult set of exams. It was the second year of high school, after all, and the two of them were in need of strengthening their grades even more if they were to go to a good university.

It was a pity, though, that they didn't have Kida-kun to study with them on this.

However, the idea of studying with the top-scoring student was a great idea. It sure helped that Kamichika-san was also a very close acquaintance of Anri's and knew Kida as well.

Mikado watched as Anri relaxed at his answer, and smiled. "Yeah, why not? How about…we ask her about this sometime, and see if she has any time available for this."

For just a girl at the age of fifteen, Kamichika-san was very accomplished and revered by almost all the other students around her, especially the male students.

She was very beautiful, as well, just like Sonohara-san. She wasn't as approachable as Sonohara-san somehow, but she had a certain nature in her strides and pace that made her seem very graceful and becoming, a trait that stood out over time the more one watched her.

The first year that she had shown up at Raira Academy, she had worn her hair dyed light brown and added flower clips for a pair of ponytails that cascaded in waves to the sides of her face, a look that had been at odds with her mature, taciturn and reserved personality and top-notch grades. Kida had told him once that the girl, even with a more-or-less fun type of appearance, seemed to hold an aura of mystery that many boys—inside and outside homeroom B-1—felt strangely attracted to. What was even stranger, according to Kida, was the fact that she never seemed to see herself as above others despite the way she carried herself.

Surprisingly, Kamichika Rio was quite a modest, sensible girl.

She seemed to have difficulty finding close friends in the school, though. From what he remembered, Kamichika-san usually walked home alone, though she did speak to people and assisted others when she could. It was true that she associated herself with a number of fellow students, but he had heard from those same people that Rio was a bit reserved to a fault, even though she was kind and considerate to everyone who she met.

Somehow, though, she ended up getting to know Sonohara-san through a project between the two first homerooms.

It was likely that, with Anri's help, that Rio eventually began to grow out of her shell to an extent. It was about a year later that she began to accept her natural, much darker hair color and allowed it to grow straight and long below her shoulders—a look that fitted her nicely along with her elegant willowy figure, long lashes and almost almond-like light brown eyes.

Not that she ever flaunted it much, if at all. Kamichika-san almost always wore glasses in the class times and in between whenever she went to study, and Mikado knew from what Anri told him that Kamichika-san was hardly seen without a book in her hands whenever she was at school. The fact that the girl seemed so determined to get somewhere and to do well with her studies—to the point of even being able to surpass every other top student in the entire Tokyo school district—was downright impressive.

And it sure didn't help that she attended Math and Science contests. What's more, she did so well in them that the universities were taking note of her.

Girl students who scored that well with academics and held themselves to such high behavioral standards were often revered amongst their peers and teachers.

Add in good looks, and one could definitely see fascination from admirers—and jealousy from rivals.

Mikado flinched as he continued thinking. From experience, he knew that Anri also had difficulties in the past in regards to dealing with admirers and bullies due to her pleasant appearance in her own right. He knew, however, that Sonohara Anri was learning to socially improve and strengthening her ability to make friends over the time he got to know her—something that Rio never seemed to have done.

From what he had heard, even though most girls in the school seemed to respect Kamichika-san, there were a few who belonged to unsavory crowds and disliked the attention that the taciturn girl was getting from most of the male students. In ways, jealousy did have that kind of factor, and Mikado somehow knew that Anri had probably dealt with the same before as well.

He just hoped that Kamichika-san knew how to deal with such attention.

He wasn't sure if he could be of help, but…when the time came to it, he and Sonohara-san—and if possible, Kida-kun—would be more than willing to lend a hand if Kamichika-san was willing to let them in. He didn't want to intrude on anything impulsively, but…the fact remained that Kamichika-san was a friend of Sonohara-san, and he knew that it was at least some form of responsibility he had to help out others in need.

* * *

Kamichika Rio pushed open the door of her house calmly and walked in. "I'm home, mother."

"Rio-chan! It's nice to see ya come home so early. Your father and I want to talk about something with you."

Rio kept her expression calm even as she felt herself freeze internally. She had been dealing with speaking to her parents out in the open in the last few years, and though she had not gotten through to them completely in every way, she knew that she understood them better now. The fact that they were now talking to her so openly now meant a lot of trouble in ways.

The only reason why two parents would want to talk to their sole daughter would have to mean change. Drastic change.

"What is it, mother? Father, is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. It's just that…your mother and I think it's about time you get ready to choose a good university to attend."

Rio felt herself relax. So it was THAT instead. Her parents weren't going to do anything drastic that will destroy and disrupt the household. For two years, she had been fearing the worst of situations in this regard, mainly her parents divorcing and her having to choose either her mother or father over the other parent. But, the fact that they were going to discuss her college prospects made her relax.

It wasn't the most fascinating topic, but it was at least a change from a nightmarish event.

"Erm…I'm sorry. I don't know exactly what major I want to be yet."

"I see." Her father stared at her for a second. "Perhaps you would like to look at the colleges out there and see what environment you would like to study in?"

"Well…the thing is, I…kind of…want to be a medical specialist, but…I don't know which branch it should be exactly."

"Ah, Rio, don't worry about that. You're only fifteen. As long as you have the idea of being a medical specialist in a way, then it shouldn't be a problem."

"Exactly! Rio-chan, I suggest that you might want to take a few summer classes, just in case they might have something that could help you figure out what you like as a job."

Rio nodded. Medical specialist was a vague term, after all, and though she knew that being a doctor was a good idea, she wasn't completely sure about if it was the thing she wanted after all this time.

She did, however, need to figure this out within a year or two. By that time, she would be seventeen, and she would be applying for the universities that fit the standard for Raira Academy. The school she attended, after all, was a decent one, and chances were that if she studied well, she might even end up going to a good university overseas or at least in Tokyo where she could stay with her friends to an extent.

As long as she found a way to stay away from HIM…Nakura-san.

Something about that felt wrong, though…as if she was running away from him.

Away from his questions.

Away from the way he would laugh as he gave her the worst answers.

Rio quickly then excused herself and went to take a bath to prepare for dinner, but the feeling of Nakura being left behind laughing at her made her stomach churn in anger.

She didn't know what she could do. She didn't want to acknowledge that he was right, that was true, but the fact remains that she didn't want to run away from the truth, either. She hated running away from what was reality.

Or was it a fake reality that he was giving her? The Black Biker had told her that the world wasn't as bad as she thought it was, and in ways, she knew that the Biker was right. People were indifferent at first, mainly because they didn't know each other's secrets. Nevertheless, when someone knew another person's secrets well enough, they would begin to care about the other individual as well, and it was from here that friendship came to be.

Rio didn't have many very close friends, but she did know that there were some people who she knew to be trustworthy and kind enough to be with.

Sonohara Anri.

Ryuugamine Mikado.

And, though she didn't know him as well as she would have liked, Masaomi Kida.

So far, these people have stood out to her the most in regards to how they have treated her.

Unlike most of the people in the class of her year, Anri had reached out to her—albeit hesitantly, like herself—and yet unflinchingly allowed herself to reach back to her. In ways, though they couldn't say that they have spoken on the phone for so much, they did know that they understood each other perfectly well—both of them carrying a calm, taciturn aura and an uncertainty of socializing. The two of them didn't have to talk to know what the other girl was thinking.

Mikado was also a phenomenon. Though he was timid and shy and quiet to a fault, he had a way about him that made him seem like an individual who cared strongly for his friends. Kamichika Rio would not say that she was the best judge of people, but even she could say that Mikado cared about individuals greatly in a way that made him outstanding.

As for Masaomi Kida…the boy epitomized warmth in his personality, and though she didn't know of his background, she could tell that the boy cared about people very well and had a very strong comradery that rivaled Mikado's considerate nature. He had a humorous side that made her smile in ways, mainly because he was the kind of individual who tried to make people laugh and be cheerful despite himself. It was a major pity that he didn't appear in class later on, though.

She didn't know whether she could call herself to have real, in-life-and-death friends, but these people were individuals who she felt cared about her genuinely—and whom she cared about genuinely in return. She didn't want to ruin their kindness, and in ways, she wished that she was worthy of the great friendship that those three offered to her.

* * *

Knowledge is power.

The more information you get about an opponent who might be interesting, the better.

Izaya smirked dangerously as he glanced at his watch. So far, though he didn't know the exact place Rio lived, he did know that walking straight into the house would not be an ideal situation. What's more, the fact was that he wanted to talk to Rio. Alone.

Said girl would, however, take this road down Shibuya to the store where they sold writing paper. And said girl was also the same person who would go to the store to buy plenty of paper all the time by the pocketful.

At first, he didn't take much note to these miniscule details, but the fact remained that Kamichika Rio was the winner of the latest Nationwide Mathematics contest and Physics contest in Japan, and had been taking constant trips to the stores where they sold pencils and paper and all sorts of writing materials and books for studying.

Impressive girl, indeed.

The fact also remained that he had heard from the other people at Raira Academy that Rio was a major idol AND model student at the school. He wondered for a moment whether she might be able to be of use to him, then came up with the idea of having her under his thumb so that she would have to do his bidding and spy for him in the school.

Why didn't he think of this sooner? It was such a terrible waste of him to not mess with the school teenagers and see what Mikado and Anri-chan would do about it.

Now, as long as he stayed here at the right time—which was probably in about 10 minutes, she would be going down this road to the store.

And he would corner her there. Just to see what has changed.

It's so interesting these days to toy with high school girls.

* * *

After dinner, Rio went out to take the waste materials from the garbage can to the bin outdoors. So far, things were looking up, and though she didn't know if life was going to give her a break, she would hope that her world would improve with her efforts.

"Mother, is it alright if I went to the store to buy some more paper? I think I'm running out of writing paper these days."

"Rio-chan, it's kinda late. How about I drive you there?"

Rio smiled. At least her parents cared and worried about her. "It's okay, mother, the store isn't that far away, and I didn't take those self-defense classes for nothing."

"Alright, then. Though…just be careful, okay? Stay safe!"

"I will, mom!"

She walked out the gate, and then ran towards the crosswalk that led her to the subway. Rio flipped her card out onto the scanner, slid the card through, and walked into the subway with the crowd. When the subway reached Shibuya, she walked down the street towards the crossroad that led to the shortcut down to the store.

So far, people weren't taking notice of her, and she hoped that it will remain that ways. She didn't like the idea of being in the spotlight for too long, but the idea was that she had to bring enough positive attention to her grades so that people would recognize her strength and achievements and skill. In ways, she felt a bit insecure, and though she knew that her grades were a strength, they were also hiding a weakness of hers.

She didn't know how to make really strong friends.

Rio sighed, then went through the store door.

"Hey, Rio! How've you been?"

"Hi, Tanaka-sempai." Rio nodded and smiled politely as she bowed. "I've been alright, I guess."

"Alright? I think you're doing pretty nicely! Keep up the good work with the Math contests! You make us all proud!"

"Ah, thank you."

"Anyways, the usual order? Three packets, I presume?"

"Yes, please."

"Ten yen. That's sure a lot of paper, haha…1500 pages of writing paper. You've been working a lot again, haven't ya?"

"Yeah. It's a lot of work." Rio smiled fondly as she handed him the money. "But, I think it's alright."

"Yep, well, anyways, keep up the great work and stay as outstanding as you have been! Keep it up!"

Rio smiled and thanked him, then bowed as she pushed the door open and took the bag of paper packets outside.

* * *

On the subway, Rio began to notice that there were almost no one going back the way she did. Perhaps it was just that today happened to be on a day where sales went on in Shibuya, so people even at her age preferred to stay up later to buy things. Unfortunately, she didn't have that time.

She had a lot of studying to do, if she wanted to maintain those grades.

Rio sighed and sat down, twenty seats down and on the opposite side of a dark-haired man in a black outfit and dress shoes, who happened to be looking into a newspaper. She couldn't see his face, and she didn't think he would try anything on her. Given that she knew how to fight off people as well in aikido class, it wouldn't be such a problem, either.

Also, because the papers were heavy, but they were worth far more than just paper to her. The fact was that these graphing papers were made for her to write her laboratory and study notes and so forth onto them. She needed this.

Rio thought for a moment. She was studying hard not to prove Nakura wrong. She was doing this to make herself stronger and prove to herself that she could do something.

To prove that she could become somebody without his opinion weighing her down.

To prove that the world was in her hands and that she had a means of becoming a good person.

And, one day, to prove that she will destroy the boundaries of her world to bring forth everything she wanted into her life.

She thought she heard a chuckle from the man twenty meters away from her, and she was started out of her reverie. "Well, well…if it isn't Magenta-san."

Rio felt her heart stop and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She recognized that voice somewhere…

And, for someone to call her by a penname that she used only with that Nakura-san at one time…

Slowly, but surely, she looked up, stilling her breathing as though she was trying to keep herself calm when she really couldn't be. Of all times that she would run into someone in the dark, it was right in a moment when she was thinking to herself.

No, it shouldn't be him. It could just be someone messing with her.

_Besides, why—how could he find me? This place isn't run-down, and Ikebukuro is so enormous, so he couldn't have been able to know everyone in it. What does he want?_

_What's more, why would he come back to me for anything?_

Rio watched in horror as a shadowy figure of a tall, black-haired man walked towards her in the desolate subway car, the only lighting on his face revealing familiar blood-red eyes. The lights from the nearby rushing subway cars shifted towards the lower half of his face, and Rio could have sworn that she saw the edge of a slightly manic, predatory smile, as if he had been anticipating her like a cobra would consider a most delicious meal.

She paled and felt her eyes widen. _No__…__NO!__WHY?_

Rio blinked, then looked down and noticed that her hands were clenched and that she had taken a step back. No…she will not let him see her be afraid anymore, even if he knew enough to see everything. She will not let this monster of a man take over her mind again and destroy everything that she worked so hard for.

It didn't make this situation any better, though. She was alone now. With HIM.

Because this man, the one behind the name of Nakura-san, was the one who had haunted her dreams every other night when she would least wish for his presence, the grotesque monster in her mind that she had always wanted to deny. The insinuating light in his eyes that she feared would eventually swallow all of her into his all-seeing black soul, and she would have to face him as the monster.

After all, she could no longer be a damsel-in-distress. She was the knight, and he was the dragon.

He was the last person she wanted to see.

The dark smile on Nakura-san's face was foreboding, with the charm of a bleeding wound that she wanted to look away from and couldn't.

"It's been a while, Magenta-san. Perhaps you and I would like a little…talk for a moment, wouldn't you?"

Rio could only stare bewilderedly at his terrifying expression, and yet the word that came out of her was stronger than anything she could have imagined she herself could give out.

"No."

* * *

"_It's in your eyes._

_What's on your mind?_

'_Fear your smile and the_

_Promise inside._

_It's in your eyes._

_What's on your mind?_

_Fear your presence_

_I'm frozen inside."_

—Within Temptation's "A Dangerous Mind"

* * *

To be continued…


	3. A Game Fit for Kings

**Title:** The Truths of Being Alive

**Chapter Title:** 3. A Game Fit For Kings

**Author:** Primal Red

**Character(s)/Pairing:** Kamichika Rio. Orihara Izaya. Ryuugamine Mikado. Sonohara Anri. Heiwajima Shizuo. Celty Sturluson. Eventual Izaya/Rio (IzaRio)

**Genre:** General/Angst/Drama/Romance

**Rating:** R/M for psychological and philosophical themes and eventually quite a bit of sexuality.

**Warnings:** Manipulation, plotting, blackmail for now. Later on, though…there will be worse.

**Summary:** For most people, life had a way of turning out fine eventually. For Rio, life was full of her own mistakes. Or so she thought. [Eventual and gradual Izaya/Rio]

* * *

"_You know me now,_

_But to do better than that,_

_You've got to follow me._

_[girl], I'm tryin' to show you_

_where I'm at."_

—"Hey Pretty" by Poe

* * *

**A/N:** Dedicated, again, especially to **Renn-kun** and **eclats_de_voix**. May the odds forever be in thy favor, for the darkness of IzaRio is ever an intrigue, isn't it? ;)

* * *

**Chapter 3: A Game Fit For Kings**

* * *

It was a fight for her life.

Rio bit on her lower lip tentatively, then slipped into a stance that made it easier for her in case she needed to run. The fact remains that she is now alone with a twenty-something-year-old man she couldn't trust in a subway car traveling to her district hometown.

Said situation was already enough to raise red flags. Unfortunately, this man was also quite dangerous, given that he almost pulled her over the edge of a building once and had laughed in joy as he held her over the area of her supposed demise. She didn't know what she could do about this, but the fact remains that he now wants something from her, and chances were very likely that it wasn't good.

Chances were even higher that it would involve something illegal, dangerous or against her favor in terrible ways.

"No."

She would have to refuse. Saying otherwise would extract from her a promise, and Nakura-san, or whoever his actual name was, was not likely to let it go easily.

He was, after all, a man who played with humans and laughed at them for their foolishness.

"No? Ah…I see you aren't likely to agree to sit down with me, hm? Well, then…" Nakura sighed dramatically—as though he was actually being a normal stranger with good intentions—then pulled out something that she never in a million years would have anticipated.

A blade. What's more, one that flipped out from the button on the handle. A switchblade.

Damn it. Damn it!

Rio felt her eyes widen at the sight of the glint on the blade, then glanced up slowly at the man holding it towards her. What could she do? She needed to get out of here, and fast.

She didn't want to hang around a person who could potentially hurt and kill her and throw the body in the river. Worse, she didn't know how to deal with weapons. Her training in Aikido did teach her how to disarm people with hands only, but close-range weapons were a completely different thing altogether for someone like her, who barely trained for a year and a half. She wasn't even a yellow belt yet.

A blade like that could potentially be lethal if used correctly.

And if he can hold it like that, it meant he had absolutely no problems killing her right on the spot. Damn skilled, alright.

Nakura then pulled his other hand up and began to trail the forefinger along the edge of the blade, with his smile now pulled upwards into a terrifying psychotic grin. "You may be quite the fighter amongst most girls your age, that I know…but, you should keep in mind that I am not exactly the kind of person who just sits around, either. Being an information broker tells me about all this, after all." He stopped for a moment at the tip of the blade, then turned the blade the other direction and pointed it against her neck, right on the pulse. "Besides…I think you might be underestimating me to think you can run away."

Rio froze, and realized then that he had backed and cornered her against the wall, even as she was holding her circle stance. No…no…this wasn't supposed to happen.

How could she have been so blind to the fact that he could fight as well?

Nakura sighed pretentiously, then lowered his face to hers until they were eye-to-eye.

"So…Kamichika Rio-chan. How about you listen to what I have to say, THEN give me your answer and take your leave?"

Rio felt her eyes narrow at the pet name. He knew who she was! "How about you let me go and speak to me on more civil terms?"

"Ah, but you see…the minute I let you go, you would run away and not even bother to listen, right? I mean…you already were planning on running away, and I was sad. So, I decided to pretty much keep you here so that you would at least listen, right?"

"First tell me HOW you know my name and why you are talking to me in the first place."

Nakura-san laughed. "Well, well. So, you have changed a bit more than I had suspected. The fact that you now realize the situation you are in makes it quite interesting in ways. As for your name…" he smirked, then stated plainly, "It only took a bit of information gathering on your profiles in the internet address arena to find your real identity. Tis funny how easy that was!"

Rio felt her insides twist at this. Good heavens, he actually could find out things about her so easily!

Nakura then feigned shock at her subtle, yet furious, expression. "Oh, my, my…my Rio-chan doesn't realize how big the world is, does she? There are so many ways of hacking and finding and filtering information on the web and in the online world. The thing is, Rio-chan, you made yourself stand out. The fact that you did so well in school like that made it all too easy to track you down. Though…admittedly, I knew exactly who you were even before then."

Rio bit on her lip and turned away silently. Seeing this, Nakura chuckled and continued with his purpose.

"Anyways, I'm here because I have a few favors to ask from you and something to offer. I want you to use your influence and knowledge from attending Raira Academy to find information for me about the other students and how they are doing. Not to mention…I want you to do a few things for me while at the school when I ask for it."

Rio flinched. So, it really WAS something that couldn't be good. Damn it. "What exactly do you want me to tell you?" she asked, sullenly.

"Ah…good question. Just about anything that is interesting or different about the going-ons in the school, especially concerning a few classmates of yours. Namely…these two."

Rio felt her eyes widen slightly as she took the pictures that he held out. Wait…didn't she know them? Ryuugamine Mikado and Sonohara Anri? What was going on?

"Ah, that's good! You know them." He clapped playfully, like a sadistic predator that would tear it's prey's body apart for fun before feasting. "In return, I will offer you anything you would like. Anything that is within reasonable terms on my part, at the very least."

Rio closed her eyes angrily. She can't. She couldn't do this, and she didn't want anything from this man. What's more, Ryuugamine-san and Sonohara-san are good people. Why…why did this have to happen? What was going on?

"I'll give you until two days afterwards to decide, on Sunday." He cheerfully places a card with a phone number and email into her hands, almost enthusiastically—if it wasn't for the gravity of the situation. "Before then…it is probably best not to tell anyone about this dealing." He smiled darkly. "No one would believe, after all, that Kamichika Rio, the model student of Raira Academy, is being harassed by an underground informant who loves humans."

Rio winced. She had fallen straight into his trap by making herself stand out. Good heavens, if she had known about this before…if she had known what she was dealing with…

She would have simply tried to blend in instead of proving him wrong. This was worse than anything she could prepare for.

The young man's expression immediately changed to a light-hearted happy smile and then realized something else. "Oh, I should also mention…don't even think about telling anyone that you know me. After all, an idol student at the school can easily end up with black marks on her reputation if she were to be known to hang out with the likes of yakuza informants. Keep in mind, Rio-chan…" he grinned manically as he placed his finger under her chin, "I can control your world just as easily as I can enter your life like this."

The last words were spoken near her left ear, and she felt his teasing whisper against her skin. Rio flinched at the unwelcome, sickening warmth from it and the turbulent emotions in her stomach, then felt a jerk from near the front, and realized then that the train had stopped at a place near Shinjuku.

Nakura, evidently satisfied at having made his point across, glanced at her with a sunny expression, then pulled back from leaning over her and began to walk towards the door. She didn't know what to expect, until Nakura began to exit the subway car.

"W—wait!"

The man turned his head towards her, with a most happy smile on his face. "Oh? Already decided, I see?"

"No!" Rio shouted, then glared. "It's just that I don't know your name!"

The man then paused, and glanced skywards as though he had realized something particularly intriguing. He then turned towards her, and backed out of the door, but not before leaving behind a most predatory smile.

"Orihara Izaya."

* * *

Rio ran like the wind out of the station and down the street towards her house. She knew that it was only a matter of time before she could reach where she wanted to go, but the feeling she had in her heart was that of a black lump of lead that she couldn't get out, no matter what she did.

No matter how fast she ran home, she never felt that she was able to get there fast enough.

She needed a bath, and time to clear her head. The sooner the better.

Rio felt her shoulders tremble as she opened and close the door, ran through the living room and up the stairs to where the bathroom was, right next to the door of her own room. Her shoulders trembled even more when she closed and locked the door behind her and savagely pulled her outfit off and threw the clothes onto the counter. She needed to wash those, and soon. She didn't want Nakura—Izaya's—scent to linger anymore on them, because she wanted to forget the whole thing. She also didn't want anything that Izaya left on her secretly—whether they be small cameras to spy on her or so forth.

This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening…

Her trembling intensified as she turned on the hot water, and her hands held on to the handles near the bath for dear life—as though she was being pulled under by a wild-eyed monster. She glanced into her reflection in the water, and noted that the girl had a stunned expression, as though she had just been hit by something catastrophic.

It was real.

It was real, and there was nothing she could do about it.

All her hopes and dreams didn't matter, not anymore.

Because of her foolish hopes of changing herself, she has become a tool to a man named Orihara Izaya, and nothing she knows or does can change that now.

She began to scream, each wail and sob heaving her entire form and tearing all her hope and dreams apart like cracks in the mirror covered with blood. Her body trembled in fear, and her hands burned from gripping on the handles so hard until her knuckles turned white. The surroundings blurred around her as hot tears flowed out of her eyes, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

Rio didn't leave the bathroom until after dinner that day, and made up an excuse to go to bed early.

* * *

The sunlight of the afternoon didn't register to Rio until she noticed the light pour in through the curtains of her bed. It seemed that she was now way too late for studying anything, and it was almost as though the entire situation in the subway had been a dream.

Rio coughed, and began to sneeze. Damn…

"Rio-chan. Stay put, alright? Your forehead has been burning over a hundred all day."

Rio blinked at the figure near the door that had brought a pan of water and some medicine. "Mom?"

"Yes, Rio-chan?"

"What happened?"

"You got pretty sick from staying in the bathroom for too long. I don't want to complain or anything, since you have been more stressed than usual yesterday, but…taking long baths is not a good habit."

"Ah…I see." Rio nodded hesitantly.

"By the way, Rio, you have schoolmates visiting you today."

Rio blinked as her eyes widened at the sound of the word. "Schoolmates?"

"Yes. Ryuugamine-san and Sonohara-san. They heard you got sick, so they came to visit."

Ah…them. Rio felt calmer at the sound of the names, then briefly remembered what Izaya had stated to her. She flinched.

Seeing her worried expression, her mother stopped taking her temperature and said, "Rio-chan, do you want to see them?"

Rio thought for a moment. If she were to see them, she might endanger them with their situation by being given information on their status, but if she didn't see them, they might suspect something was wrong and end up confronting her anyways.

Probably better to see them.

That ways, if she could, she might even be able to warn them beforehand about that man…

This was, after all, a way to tell them about the truth without letting Izaya know. The two of them had shown up, after all, and Izaya wasn't able to control what she said to them here. He didn't have any cameras on her, as far as she had checked yesterday.

"Yeah. I would like to see them, mom."

Her mother's concerned expression softened at her confident words, and she swore she could see a smile reaching her parent's eyes. "Alright, then."

Rio nodded, then slowly got up. With her mother's help, she washed her face with cold water and dressed herself up. She didn't want to make a bad impression on the others for being messy, but she didn't want to look like she was attending something formal.

In the end, Rio decided to go for something simple and wore a sunset hued skirt with her usual small heels and a light sky-blue puffed-sleeve top.

There. That ways, she didn't have to worry about seeming too shabby.

Ryuugamine Mikado and Sonohara Anri were sitting in the living room with tea at the table when she slowly walked out, but the moment the two of them saw her, both of them stood up and made room for her to sit on the sofas. Rio hesitantly smiled, knowing how awkward it was to be sick at a time like this, but then schooled herself to bow to the other two. She felt slightly reassured when Mikado and Anri smiled back at her a little and returned the gesture.

It seems that they didn't mind her awkwardness.

"Ryuugamine-san. Sonohara-san. It's a pleasure to see you both."

"Oh! No, no…I—it's a pleasure to see you today, Kamichika-san," the earnest boy named Ryuugamine Mikado said quickly, "I…I hope we aren't intruding on anything."

Rio nodded calmly at him. He was really a genuine and kind person. Why Izaya wanted her to spy on him, she didn't know. "You aren't intruding on anything, Ryuugamine-san. I don't mind either of you visiting at all."

"A—ah. A—anyways, Kamichika-san, we are here to see how you are doing, since we were worried…and to ask for a favor."

Rio blinked at the last few words, sipped her tea, then spoke, "I…I think I have something to say to the two of you, as well."

Mikado blinked, then nodded at her. "Ah…well…you go first."

"No, it's alright, really." Rio smiled slightly. "I don't mind listening first."

Mikado hesitantly glanced at Anri, who nodded at him calmly, then spoke a bit hesitantly. "Anri and I…would like to ask you to study with us for the next project."

Oh. That one. The most recent project that required groups between classes. The two of them really were too genuine for their own good.

Rio felt herself smile, this time more openly. "I accept. I would love to work with Ryuugamine-san and Sonohara-san."

"R—really? That's good." Mikado smiled happily, then blushed embarrassedly at himself for making such a comment. "So…what is it that you wish to tell us?"

Rio paused, then hesitated. It's now or never. "Well…it's just…I think this might be a bit difficult to say…"

"Oh…" Mikado blinked, then nodded, "It's alright. Sonohara-san and I are willing to listen."

"I've been…" Rio bit on her lip. She knew that she needed to tell them that they were in danger. If they didn't find out, it meant that she would have no choice but to tell things to Izaya-san and that would make her feel more guilty than anything. What's more, she felt that the two people in front of her were trustworthy and decent.

She could not stand by and let them be in any more danger. This was her problem.

How should she begin this? She then stated hesitantly, "…I've been threatened by someone."

Her words must have had an effect, because Mikado's and Anri's eyes immediately widened, and Mikado immediately stood up. "What? But…who…"

Rio bit on her lip nervously, then spoke, hands clenching on the table until her knuckles became white, "Someone dangerous."

Her tenseness didn't go unnoticed by the two of them. Anri was, surprisingly, the first person to speak afterwards. "Is this person at our school?"

Rio shook her head. "He doesn't attend our school. But…he's been asking for information on the two of you from me."

Mikado jumped. "W—what? B—but, who? Who is this guy?"

Rio bit on her lip nervously. There was no easy way around this, but she had to say it in a way so that the two of them would understand and listen. "That's why I want you two to know. So that the two of you will be careful. This guy…he is trying to blackmail me into doing things for him at school. He threatened to destroy me if I told anyone. However…" she paused, "…that's not the only reason why I'm worried."

Anri leaned forward and nodded at her. "I see…what is he like?"

"He's dark-haired, red-eyed and kinda tall. Somewhat on the thin side. He seems to have fun with hurting people. I don't know for sure," Rio paused, somewhat relieved that the two of them actually believed her for telling the truth, then stated, "but I think he has something to do with the yakuza. He's supposedly an informant."

"Is his name Orihara Izaya?"

Rio felt her eyes widen at the name. "How did you know…"

Mikado glanced at her immediately, and Rio felt a chill go down her spine as she saw his expression. "So, it IS him."

Rio blinked confusedly, then asked a question that she wasn't sure she should ask. "Did he mess with the two of you as well?"

Anri nodded solemnly. "I…guess you can say that. He seems to like to cause a lot of problems for people, Izaya-san."

"If that's the case, then why didn't you report him to the police?"

Mikado bit on his lip and guiltily glanced at her. "He's not someone any of us can capture easily. I mean…there is no concrete evidence against him. Not that I know any, that is."

Rio sighed, as though she was emotionally exhausted. "If that's the case…I don't know what to do about this…I don't think I can let him know that I told you this, either. He told me not to say anything, but…I didn't want you to not know this."

Mikado and Anri glanced at her sympathetically, and Rio cursed herself for dragging the two of them into the situation. What good did it do for her to tell them that they are in danger? She had dragged them into a problem that was supposedly hers, and only her responsibility. She shouldn't have done this. She should own the problem and live the consequences and move on. She probably might risk a lot for telling them all this, too, or even risk their lives for this situation.

Her expression must have been particularly gloomy to Anri, for the other girl then said something that she would never have expected to hear. "I…I think I know two people who might help us with this problem."

Mikado glanced at Anri, as though he hoped for an answer that might be good. "Who?"

"…Heiwajima Shizuo-san and Celty-san."

* * *

"Heiwajima-san?" Mikado couldn't believe his ears. "Celty-san, I can understand, but…Heiwajima Shizuo-san?"

He must have sounded very surprised, because Anri glanced at him hesitantly, and spoke. "Um…Heiwajima-san, I admit, may seem dangerous, but…I think he is also considerate enough. That and…he knows how to deal with Izaya-san one-on-one, unlike the rest of us."

"Yeah, but…" Mikado glanced at Kamichika-san from the side. "I don't know if he might endanger Kamichika-san."

Anri bit on her lip nervously, and Mikado felt guilty at that moment for making her feel conflicted with the unusual idea. "True…"

"W—well, it's probably better to try than not to try, right?" Mikado said. "I mean, I think Kamichika-san needs all the help she can get for this kind of situation."

"True…"

Mikado then turned to Kamichika-san, and nodded to her. "We will help you with this situation as well. In regards to dealing with Izaya-san…I think asking Celty-san and Heiwajima-san actually is a good idea. As for telling us your situation…Anri and I won't say anything."

Their determination must have helped bolster her confidence, because Kamichika-san blinked in surprise at him, then smiled genuinely at him and Anri. "I…thank you. Thank you for all this."

Before he knew it, Anri had smiled back at Kamichika-san, and he felt himself stop breathing when he noticed how genuine the two were surprisingly being at that moment. "No problem."

Dang…he was never going to understand how those two understood each other so well, but…at least he was helping.

The next two hours were spent on talking about the next project they had at school, but Mikado felt that Kamichika-san's spirits had brightened up greatly, and he couldn't help feel proud of himself for once for being able to help.

* * *

The early evening air was much cooler than she had expected, but Rio had managed to bring a nice coat to ensure that she didn't freeze to death as she walked to the designated meeting place near the fountain in the middle of Ikebukuro. She knew that it wasn't going to be easy meeting Celty-san or Heiwajima-san, but she knew that she needed their help badly.

If she didn't resolve this problem, her entire world would end as she knew it.

The description that Mikado and Anri had given her, though, were a bit startling.

She had not known that Celty-san was the Black Rider.

Heiwajima-san, though, was even more startling. A tall, full-grown man who dyed his hair blonde and wore sunglasses and bartender clothing was not someone she would expect to be around in the streets of Ikebukuro at this time. Most people didn't dress like that out here as a fashion statement.

Or was it a fashion statement? From what she heard, Heiwajima Shizuo was a terrifyingly dangerous man, and identified himself with those factors that Anri had told her.

She thought she heard a sound like a horse neighing in the distance, and before she knew it, the Black Rider had shown up with a tall man matching the description Anri and Mikado had given her sitting on the back seat.

The man then stood and pulled his right leg over the seat to the other side and stood up on the left side of the motorcycle. The Black Rider, in the meantime, then took out her Memo, and started the conversation off for the three of them.

**"Hi. It's been a while. Anyways…you are Kamichika Rio-san?"**

Rio nodded.

* * *

"Hmph. Looks like that louse is causing trouble again, isn't he?"

It was one thing to see someone in person. It was another, Rio found, to see a seemingly normal man knock down a large lamppost from the side of the street with one swing of his arm.

"**Shizuo, I don't think you want to scare the poor girl."**

"Oh…" Heiwajima-san blinked, then took up and placed the lamppost carefully into the ground with his hands as though it was made of putty. "Sorry."

Rio blinked confusedly, then bowed deeply to both of them. "Um…It's alright. Thank you so much for coming out here to listen to me, and…I apologize for any inconvenience this situation would cause you both."

Heiwajima Shizuo took a drag from his cigarette and nodded at her. "It's no problem."

"**It's no trouble at all, Rio-san. Your situation is making a mess of your life, and I think we all need to figure out how to resolve this scenario without causing you more problems."**

"Yeah. I…I really don't understand why, but…it seems that he wants information on Sonohara-san and Ryuugamine-san for some reason."

For a moment, Rio noticed that the Black Rider—named Celty Sturluson—was silent at the mention of what the high schooler had been told to do by Izaya-san, then began typing again on her Memo.

"**That…er, has to do with Mikado and Anri-chan's personal situations. They kind of have some complications that were difficult to share even amongst themselves, much less amongst others. I don't think I have the right to share about what their situations are, but…I think they will tell you eventually about that."**

Rio blinked. Trouble for them as well? She then recalled how Anri had told her about the fact that Izaya had messed with her and Mikado as well. Whatever they seemed to have dealt with, it seemed pretty bad. "Oh. It's troubling, though. I told them about the situation, but I hope he doesn't find out and make things worse for the two of them."

Shizuo sighed. "So…that damn flea is trying to stir things up with blackmailing people nearby this time? But…why did he target you personally?"

Rio winced. This was going to be embarrassing to say. "He…he got to know me once by pretending to befriend me online and asked me to talk to him in real life."

"Ah." The man's features darkened a bit at her words. "And he knows that you attend Raira Academy as well as the other two. Not to mention that you stand out at the school…dang, it is probably going to be a major pain in the neck if he shows up and smears your reputation."

Rio blinked confusedly. Wow, for someone who she just met, he was really very perceptive. "Um…Heiwajima-san, how did you know that?"

The blond-haired man blinked as he realized her surprise, then adjusted his sunglasses. "I've read from the newspaper about your scores in the National Math Contests once. That and…I've known that flea ever since I've attended high school with him. It's no surprise to me that he would do something like that."

"Ah."

"**Anyways, we need to come up with a plan to find out what Izaya-san is doing. Otherwise, if we continue like this, Rio-san might end up having to bear the brunt of the problems."**

"True." Shizuo sighed as he glanced at the sky for a moment, then turned towards Rio. "I know that this might be a strange idea, but…you might want to be careful with what you do around most others from now on. Knowing that louse, he will definitely send people after you, even now." He glanced around, as though he was searching through the crowds for anyone suspicious. Satisfied that there were no suspicious-looking gangsters around, he then turned back to her. "He isn't someone who will just sit and wait for you to talk to him. I wouldn't be surprised if he forces you to go to him."

"A—ah. Understood…" Rio nodded timidly. She really didn't know what else to say to this person, this guy who was capable of pulling street signs out of the ground with his bare hands.

The man blinked at her for a second, as though he was thinking of all the coming disasters that were going to show up at her door, then glanced at her sympathetically. "You're probably going to be dealing with a lot of unwanted problems from now on, so I suggest that you hold your head up high and don't take any of the crap he sends you. I know that it can get pretty bad eventually with that flea trying to wreck your life and all, but…it isn't going to help if you stay quiet about what he does. I also recommend that you find out how to not let him trick you into anything." He then nodded to her approvingly, "You're a brave girl for even telling us about all this in the first place. Keep it up, and don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise."

"**Exactly. Rio-san, if anything, I have to hand it to you to be able to talk openly about this. It's not often that people will accept what others tell them in a situation like this, but…for you to attempt being open about your situation, it's very courageous."**

Rio blushed at their words. "…thank you."

"And if you need either or both of us to help, don't be afraid to ask." Shizuo nodded to her. "I think that Ryuugamine kid…and that other person—what was her name again—will also help out."

"**Oh. I think her name was Sonohara Anri."**

"Oh. Sorry. I'm terrible with remembering names." Shizuo scratched his head a bit awkwardly.

Rio felt herself smile openly at their words and bowed deeply. "Thank you so much. I can't thank you both enough."

"You're welcome."

"**No problem, Rio-san. Just give us both a call if you really need to. Either that, or we'll call you up if we come up with a plan, or if there seems to be anything wrong."**

Rio smiled brightly, then bowed again to both of them and walked back towards her house with their numbers on her cell phone. It was a cold evening, but for some reason, she felt happier than she had expected herself to be.

It was nice to get to know people who are so kind and genuine.

* * *

Shizuo stared in the direction that the girl went, as though he was considering all the problems that she might deal with, then finally spoke. "She might need some major help with this."

"**True. Though…we might have to figure out what Izaya is planning with trying to set up spies near Anri-chan and Mikado."**

"And chances are that it might end up with something like that incident with the Yellow Scarves, or whatever they were called, or worse." Shizuo crossed his arms as he thought about a few solutions. "She might have to face him, anyways, if he chooses to confront her, and that may spell trouble. I just hope she can hold her ground against that louse."

"**Agreed. She's barely past high school, bright as she is. Not many people at that age can outwit an adult like Izaya-san. Also, Mikado is not exactly at a point where he can deal with Izaya as well, even though he's capable. Anri can fight very nicely, but…she is also in the same year." **Celty stopped for a moment, then kept typing. **"Shinra would definitely provide some information on what may be going on as well, but…he has a lot to do these days."**

"True. If anything, I'll probably have to trail that louse on my off times through what people can tell me. Or maybe find out from a few people I know on what he might be looking for these days."

"**That is definitely an idea. Nowadays, we aren't sure of what he might be doing."**

"Might want to look into the legends or myths about what he might be searching for. He could very well be playing off of something supernatural again, just like that Slasher incident in the park. Then, there's the issue with what that louse wants with Ryuugamine and Sonohara. If he finds out that they know he's spying on them, he will most certainly retaliate on them, as well as Kamichika-san. Especially her."

"**Which means we all have to be silent about this to people who won't understand or help us."**

"Indeed."

For a moment, Shizuo swore that Celty looked more anxious than any human expression could give off, then as though she thought of something, the dullahan began to type on her Memo again. **"Let's just hope that she doesn't do anything that he can take advantage of easily." **

* * *

For the first time in her life, Rio wondered whether it was like this to have real friends. Friends were individuals who one could share things with, people who you could tell a lot of things to.

Friends who could come up with ideas on how to deal with a problem.

"…_You're probably going to be dealing with a lot of unwanted problems from now on, so I suggest that you hold your head up high and don't take any of the crap he sends you. I know that it can get pretty bad eventually with that flea trying to wreck your life and all, but…it isn't going to help if you stay quiet about what he does. I also recommend that you find out how to not let him trick you into anything."_

Rio's features darkened a bit. So that means Izaya had messed with Heiwajima-san before, as well as Celty-san. What's more, it made sense that the problem she was facing likely needed more awareness and capacity towards being watchful and determination not to break.

So, it meant that she would need to be careful with sharing information with others, with the exception of four people in particular and others who might help her with the situation.

For some reason, she felt that she could have spoken as well to Masaomi Kida if she had wished, but the fact remains that said guy had left the school sometime ago. Though, if he hadn't, it wouldn't have surprised her if he had listened.

He was strangely honest in his ways, despite being a vivacious and energetic flirt who told bad jokes.

Rio paused for a second. If Mikado and Anri were in danger, then chances were that they were linked to something big and a major trouble to deal with. From the last time she could recall, there was a situation that had, in particular, made her suspicious of what was going on in Ikebukuro.

She and a couple of other friends had been captured by a group of people claiming to be Dollars, then saved by other members of the Dollar Gang.

Sonohara Anri was also near the area, and held and fought with a katana in her hands of all things.

What's more, there had been a lot of fighting, and a young man named Chikage, someone who she had heard was supposedly a gang leader from a rather faraway district in Tokyo, had shown up for some reason.

It was serious, and she would need to find a means to help the situation. She didn't know what she could do, but she needed to be of some use to the people who were maintaining the peace.

What's worse, it seemed that Izaya could be involved. Last time she recalled, the man had stated that he was a yakuza informant. And there had been REAL yakuza involved in the mess of that most recent riot in Ikebukuro.

Either way, she had to make sure that he didn't find out about the fact that she had said anything to her two schoolmates. If she wanted to do that, she would have to ensure that she kept a certain distance away from Ryuugamine-san and Sonohara-san in public, and at the same time seem to attempt to look after what they were into. Mikado and Anri had told her about what she could do with this sort of act a few hours ago, and yet all of them knew that they couldn't do more than that without knowing exactly what Izaya was planning.

It was just as Celty-san had said. Izaya was planning something, and she wanted to make sure he didn't cause any more trouble than he already had.

She would take this into her own hands…she would have to find the responsibility to resolve her own mistakes and defend the people who had just helped her.

She knew that it wasn't going to be easy, but the thing was that Izaya had blackmailed her. If he were to know that his plan for that had failed, he would most certainly retaliate. If he plans to retaliate, then she would have to make sure that he doesn't retaliate on anyone else other than herself.

She, after all, was the one who made the mistake of meeting him in the first place.

She was the one who believed and trusted him at one time.

She would have to fight him, but she knew that she needed to find a way to deal with him one-on-one. She needed to figure out how he does his planning, what exactly he is after, and what she can do to prevent him from hurting everyone else.

She didn't care so much about being hurt herself, but she not let him do anything to Mikado, Anri, Heiwajima-san and Celty-san.

The last thing they needed was someone who plotted against them in their lives.

Rio thought for a moment, then picked up the card given to her on the subway and dialed the number on her cell phone. After two rings, the other person picked up.

"Why, hello! Glad to have your business." Just the sound of the cheerful, familiar voice of the man she once called Nakura made her wince.

Rio braced herself. "Orihara Izaya-san," she said quietly.

"Oh? Rio-chan, I see…" She could practically see him smile deviously on the other side. For that, she was glad that she wasn't looking at him face-to-face.

"I…I want to make a deal."

Immediately, her stomach churned at the thought that she was actually hearing him. Still, decisions were decisions, and she would have to do this.

"Oh? I see that you have decided—"

"However, I want to change and add a few conditions."

To protect Mikado and Anri. And Heiwajima Shizuo and Miss Celty and others.

To protect the people who were willing to help her deal with this problem, even if she would never oblige them to do so.

"Hm…What made you change your mind, Rio-chan?"

So, he was thinking about what she was planning.

Rio took a deep breath, and then spoke. "About that…I want to meet you in person to talk about this matter."

* * *

"_Hey pretty,_

_Don't 'cha wanna_

_Take a ride with me?_

_Feel my world?_

_Hey pretty,_

_My pretty baby."_

—"Hey Pretty" by Poe


End file.
